Rotary boring-drill.



H. R. HUGHES.

ROTARY BORKNG DRILL. @IPLICATION FILED JULY 30, was

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' of the roller type r on a cone bit. Fig.

H6 A331) 1%. HUGHES, OF HGUSTGE, TEXaS.

ROTARY BORING-DRILL.

Patenteol'Dec. 31, 1918.

Application filed July 30, 1918. Serial No. 247,367.

"orcern: canine R. HUGHES, a citizen of the Unlted States, residing at Houston, Harris county, exas, have 1nvented a certain new and. useful Improvement in Rotary Boring-Drills, following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to rotary boring drills, and has particular reference to drills "or use in digging wells or other similar ma- Be it no or mines in earth, rock terial.

It has'for its object the provision of a means for housing the cutters of a drill of the character described, said housing being removable. 1

Another object is to provide a detachable housing for the cutterswhich may be easily and quickly removed and which may be firmly. secured against accidental removal during the operation of the device.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will more clearly appear in the description which follows, and will be pointed out with more particularity in the claims.

Referring to the drawing forming a part of this specification, and wherein like numerals of reference are applied to like parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing my invention in use 2 is a bottom plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the housing removed from the bit. Fig. 4% is a side view of the housing disclosed in Fig. 3, the right hand side of the same being shown in section on the line 4-4: of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a projection taken from Fig. l showing the flat side of the housing.

I have shown my invention in use upon a rock bit of the cone type, this bit being sub stantially the same as that disclosed in my Patent No. 930,759, patented August 10,1909. This drill is made up ofa longitudinal, approximately cylindrical-shaped head, 5,having a reduced upper shank, 6, threaded for attachment to the drill stem, not shown.

The lower end of this head is provided with inclined fiat inner faces upon which are mounted two opposite cone-shaped cutters,

7, these cuttersbeing closely housed within a socket, 8, in thebase of the head. Two opposite sides of the head are flattened, as shown at 12, to allow a'free upward passage of which the '19, in the'head of the flushing water which is used in rotary drilling for the purpose of carrying upwardly the disintegrated matter. Beaming-rollers, 9, are mounted on the two flattened sides of the head in sockets, 10, these rollers being adapted to roll upon the side of the hole and to assist in maintaining the gage of the hole in order to prevent any wedging or sticking of the bit in the hole. The head of the bit is divided longitudinally on a line,

11, in a plane at right angles to the flattened sides, 12.

The manner in which the cutters are shrouded or inclosed for purposes of protection and for maintaining the flushing water directly upon the cones is one of the principal features of my invention. The cutters are shroudcdby means of a web, 13, fitting between the two sides of the head and having a fiat portion extending from the cutters upward approximately half the length of the head. This web has the said fiattenedupper portion, 14, for purposes of attachment in the head, and alower shroud-- ing portion, 15, so form'edas to fit closely about the cutters; Each side of the web is formed With a side wall, 16,'projecting inwardly between the cutters and adapted to conform to the shape of the cones. From the central indentation, 16, in' the shroud the walls of the same are extended outwardly around the cutters so as to shroud approximately one half of the same. This outward extension is indicated at 17 and is curved to conform to the cylindrical shape of the head. On the inner side of the inclosing wall the socket formed tended upwardly and conforms to the curved upper portion of the two-cutters, .as shown at 18 in Fig. 4.

, The flushing water is introduced through longitudinal channels, 19, in the head. -The water passes downwardlythrough the head and through registering channels, 20, in the housing, 13, and is introduced into the socket conveyingwater to the cutting cones. In

this. manner the flushing water, which is projected downwardly through the channels, and through the registering passages, 20, in the shroud, issues into the socket in such manner as to'be forced outwardly'through the socket and around the cutters with some force.

closely inclosed by the shroud that only a by the shroud is ex- The 'cu-tters are so small passage is provided on all sides of the cutters and the water is projected outwardly from the shroud through the constricted opening around the cutters, with somewhat the effect of a hose nozzle, thus serving to wash away any disintegrated matter which may adhere to the cutters, and to keep them clean at all times.

In order to prevent any lateral or longitudinal movement of the shroud during the cutting operation, and thus to prevent any interference of the shroud with the cutters, I have provided a pin, 21, shown at dotted lines in Fig. 1, this pin passing diametrically 1 5- through the head at right angles to the plane of the upper web, 14, of the shroud. A hole, 22. is provided in the web to receive the said pin.

By the use of this inclosing shroud in relation to the cone bit the cutters may be adapted for operation in the softer formations. The cone bit is especially adapted, under ordinary circumstances, for use in drilling rock, and without some means of preventing the lodging of softer material, such-as gumbo or clay, about the cutters, the teeth thereof will become so clogged that no cutting action will be possible. But by the use of the shroud hereinv shown, the water is so constricted in its passage out wardly as to be forced with considerable pressure from the sides of the housing, and thus maintain the cutters free of the disintegrated material.

In assembling the structure, the pin, 21, is removed and the two parts of the head separated in such manner that the upper part of the web, 13, may be mounted between the two sides of the head and 'thelower part thereof to fit closely about the cutters. The two parts of the head are then moved into contact with each other in such manner that the Clltw ters will fit closely into the socket in. the lower part of the shroud and so that the holes in the two parts of the head will registe'rwith the hole, 2:2, in the upper part of the web. The pin, 21, is then inserted and secured in position. The pin, 21, will thus not only serve to secure the shroud in proper position but will serve to hold the two parts ofsthe divided head together. This service is also assisted by means of the drill collar, which may then be secured about the upper threaded shank, 6, of the head, and thus prevent any lateral movement at the upper end of the bit.

Having thus described my invention, the objects and advantages of which will be clear without further description, what I claim as new, and desire to protect by Let ters Patent, is: v

1. In a rotary boring drill, a head, cutters rotatably mounted in the base thereof, a

. cutters and to closely shroud for said cutters comprising a removable section fitting within a slot in said head, the said shroud being recessed to house said cutters on all but the active cutting portion, and a pin adapted to pass through said head and slot to engage said shroud and secure the said shroud in position.

2. In a rotary boring drill, a head, cutters rotatably mounted thereon, and a single removable shroud for said cutters adapted to fit between said cutters and to be secured within a slot in the base of said head, the said shroud having two inwardly bent side walls completely closing the space between said cutters and closely housing the same.

3. In a rotary boring drill, a head, cutters rotatably mounted thereon, a shroud for said cutters comprising a flat removable section adapted to fit within a slot in the lower part of said. head, the'lower end of said section being so recessed and shaped as to closely surround said cutters, and means'to retain said section in adjusted position.

4. In a rotary boring drill, a head, cutters rotatably mounted in the lower end thereof, a housing for said cutters comprising a single removable section fitting slidably within a central slot in said head, the lower end of said housing having two lateral inwardly projecting walls shaped to closely house said cutters, and means to secure said housing against accidental removal.

5. In a rotary boring drill, a head divided longitudinally in two parts, recesses in the inner face of said parts toward the lower end thereof,cutters mounted in the base of said head, and a web fitting within said recesses, the upper end thereof being fiat and slidable therein, the'lower end of said web shaped to conform to the curvature of the house said cutters on the upper side thereof.

'6. In a rotary boring drill, a head, cutters rotatably mounted in the base, a shroud for said cutters, said shroud having a fiat upper shank fitting removably within a slot in the head and the lower end portion shaped to conform to the contour of the cutters, and a single transverse locking pin adapted to secure the shroud within the head.

7. In a rotary boring drill, a head, cone shaped cutters rotatably mounted in the base thereof, and a shroud for said cutters comprising a single web fitting within a HOWARD R. HUGHES. 

